ABSTRACT
Various biomedical materials and devices have been fabricated using metals, ceramics, and organic polymers [1]. They are often required to be biologically inert and possess non-fouling surfaces. Alternatively, biomaterials used in direct contact with living tissues, such as titanium-based dental implants, often need to establish direct contact with tissues without the intervention of soft fibrous tissues. In contrast, more biologically active materials, such as hydroxyapatite coatings, are expected to promote mutual integration at the material−tissue interfaces. In these examples, conventional biomedical materials interact with living tissues at various levels, yet the mode of interaction is essentially passive because materials are not directly involved in biomolecular networks of living systems through biospecific interactions.
